WEDNESDAY NIGHT, PROTESTS IN WATERLOO WENT WITHOUT SERIOUS INCIDENT. TRAFFIC WAS DISRUPTED ON HIGHWAYS 218 AND 63 AS MARCHERS MADE THEIR WAY TOWARD CITY HALL. SHERIFF TONY THOMPSON MET WITH THE CROWD KNEELING OUTSIDE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ENTRANCE BEFORE THE GROUP BROKE UP NEAR 11 O’CLOCK.
THERE WERE A HANDFUL OF ARRESTS FROM TUESDAY NIGHT’S WATERLOO DEMONSTRATIONS RELATED TO THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD. FIVE PEOPLE AGED 18 TO 25 WHERE CHARGED WITH RIOTING AND FAILURE TO DISPERSE. THE TUESDAY NIGHT INCIDENT INCLUDED AN EPISODE OF ROCK-THROWING BEFORE TEAR-GAS WAS DEPLOYED BY POLICE.
A SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITY BALLOTS WERE CAST BY MAIL DURING TUESDAY’S RECORD PRIMARY ELECTION IN IOWA. HOWEVER, MANY PEOPLE DID STILL TRAVEL TO POLLING STATIONS. IOWA SECRETARY OF STATE PAUL PATE SPOKE ABOUT THE EFFORT TO KEEP VOTERS AND POLL WORKERS SAFE. MORE THAN 500 THOUSAND BALLOTS WERE CAST DURING THE PRIMARY AND NEALRY 80 PERCENT WERE PROCESSED THROUGH THE ABSENTEE BALLOT SYSTEM. THE ABSENTEE VOTES SKEWED SLIGHTLY DEMOCRATIC: AS OF TUESDAY, 223-THOUSAND DEMOCRATS VOTED REMOTELY TO 173 THOUSAND REPUBLICANS.
FORMER IOWA STATE FOOTBALL COACH JOHNNY MAJORS HAS DIED AT AGE 85. MAJORS CAME TO AMES IN 1968. BY 1971, HE TOOK THE CYCLONES TO THE SUN BOWL, THE SCHOOL’S FIRST POSTSEASON FOOTBALL APPEARANCE. HE WAS VOTED TO THE IOWA STATE ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME IN 1999.
BETWEEN 11 O’CLOCK AND MIDNIGHT, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN IOWA CITY REPEATEDLY USED TEAR GAS TO BREAK UP A GATHERING OF DEMONSTRATORS. THE GROUP NUMBERING IN THE HUNDREDS WAS APPROACHING INTERSTATE 80 ON DUBUQUE STREET. THE HIGHWAY WAS CLOSED FOR A TIME NEAR THE DUBUQUE STREET EXIT.
EARLIER IN THE DAY, OUR COVERAGE PARTNERS AT TV-9 TALKED WITH A MAN CLEANING UP THE RESIDUE OF EARLIER PROTESTS IN IOWA CITY. STEVE COOK WAS SCRAPING AND PAINTING OVER GRAFFITI IN THE AREA. COOK SAID HE SUPPORTED THE RIGHT TO GATHER AND PROTEST. WINDOWS AND WALLS IN THE IOWA CITY PED MALL AREA WERE TARGETS FOR VANDALISM.
AS LEGISLATORS RETURNED TO DES MOINES WEDNESDAY, REPUBLICANS INTRODUCED LEGISLATION THAT WOULD OFFER PROTECTION FROM CORONAVIRUS LAWSUITS FOR DOCTORS, HOSPITALS, NURSING HOMES, MEATPACKING PLANTS, RESTAURANTS AND OTHER BUSINESSES. THE MEASURE IS RETROACTIVE TO JAN. 1. OPPOSITION TO THE BILL CAME FROM LEGISLATORS WHO SAID IT PROTECTS CORPORATIONS AT THE EXPENSE OF PEOPLE. THE EFFORT COMES IN THE FORM OF AN AMENDMENT TO A MEDICAL MALPRACTICE BILL THAT PREVIOUSLY HAD PASSED THE SENATE
THE IOWA STATE MEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM ANNOUNCED IT’S NON-CONFERENCE SCHEDULE FOR THE WINTER. THE SEASON WILL OPEN AGAINST KENNESAW STATE AT HILTON COLISEUM ON NOVEMBER 10TH. OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE A VISIT BY OREGON STATE THREE DAYS LATER. AND SOUTH DAKOTA STATE IN EARLY DECEMBER. THE CYCLONE WILL VISIT THE IOWA HAWKEYES ON DECEMBER 10TH.
THE FEDERAL PAYROLL PROTECTION PROGRAM HAS HELPED TO PRESERVE JOBS IN ALL CORNERS OF THE STATE. IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST SHARED HER THOUGHTS ON THE EFFORT, ALONG WITH SOME NUMBERS ABOUT ITS IMPACT. ON WEDNESDAY, SENATORS APPROVED CHANGES TO THE PROGRAM WHICH TRIPLES THE AMOUNT OF TIME BUSINESSES HAVE TO SPEND PPP MONEY WHILE STILL HAVING THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THE LOANS FORGIVEN. THE U.S. HOUSE HAD ALREADY PASSED THE CHANGES, SO THE BILL WILL ADVANCE TO THE PRESIDENT.
FEDERAL EMERGENCY FUNDING HAS FILTERED THROUGH THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS TO SCORES OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS AND MUSEUMS AROUND THE STATE. OVER 60 THOUSANDS DOLLARS WILL COME TO BLACK HAWK COUNTY TO ENTITIES LIKE THE GROUT MUSEUM DISTRICT, THE WATERLOO CENTER FOR THE ARTS, THE WATERLOO COMMUNITY PLAYHOUSE, AND THE WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS SYMPHONY. MORE THAN A DOZEN LINN COUNTY GROUPS WILL TOGETHER RECEIVE OVER 140 THOUSAND DOLLARS. THE TOTAL FUNDING ADDS UP TO OVER 1.1 MILLION DOLLARS STATEWIDE.
A FORMER WATERLOO MAN HAS RESIGNED FROM THE DEFENSE SCIENCE BOARD WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE IN REACTION TO EVENTS IN WASHINGTON EARLIER THIS WEEK. JAMES MILLER CRITICIZED PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND ADMINISTRATION OFFICIALS FOR BREAKING UP PROTESTS NEAR THE WHITE HOUSE FOR WHAT MILLER AND OTHERS HAVE DESCRIBED AS A PHOTO OP AT A NEARBY CHURCH. MILLERS LETTER OF RESIGNATION WAS PUBLISHED ONLINE THIS WEEK BY THE WASHINGTON POST.
HAIL AND HIGH WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WITH THUNDERSTORSMS EXPECTED TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN IOWA THIS EVENING. MORE ON THE FORECAST IN 30 SECONDS.
